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Annette
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Harp
Kurt Bjorling
Clarinet,
Basset-Horn, Saxophone
This fabulous duo combination of clarinet & harp
takes the listener to a world beyond everyday experience.
Chicago Klezmer Duo, Chamber Ensemble, Wedding Duo Chicago, Wedding Ensemble,
Acoustic Duo, Classical Duo, Jazz Duo, Jazz Ensemble, , Ambient Music
Duo Controverso
Offers a Unique Sound & Instrumentation,
an Exciting & Poetic, Timeless & Modern Repertoire...
... including traditional ethnic music, classical music, original compositions
and jazz.
Their intimate acoustic sound spans a wide expressive range,
inviting the listener to pause and enjoy music of quiet intensity and ecstatic
energy
in an otherwise loud and hurried world.
Annette & Kurt interpret, arrange and improvise pieces based on
traditional folk and ethnic music, such as East-European klezmer,
Turkish, Greek and Romanian dances, Jewish cantorial solos, ...
The classical repertoire of Duo Controverso ranges from renaissance
and baroque-era masters (Bach, Gibbons, Handel, Lasso, Vivaldi),
classical and romantic favorites (Chopin, Mendelssohn, Spohr),
to French impressionists (Fauré, Debussy, Saint-Saëns)
and contemporary composers.
Annette & Kurt play well-known standards as well as obscure
but quitebeautiful jazz and pop melodies.
As there is hardly any music composed specifically for harp with either
clarinet or basset horn or saxophone, all of the repertoire has been
adapted or composed by Duo Controverso.
Duo Controverso performs for various occasions:
entertaining and educational concerts,
creating festive ambience and lively dance music.
We also offer lectures and workshop programs about the music, songs and dances
of Yiddish culture, with historical information and hands-on coaching.
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Gedanken
Fantasies, Meditations & Improvisations
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Musical director of the Chicago Klezmer
Ensemble and, a member of Brave Old World,
Kurt has also toured and recorded with the
Klezmatics (New York) and violinist Itzhak
Perlman. He has taught klezmer music style
and techniques at numerous festivals and
workshops in Europe and North America, and
he has composed symphonic pieces based on
klezmer music.
In addition to his involvement with Yiddish
music, he has been active playing jazz,
chamber music and various styles of ethnic
folk music, as well as arranging and
performing music for theater. Kurt studied
clarinet with Lloyd Scott and Larry Combs.
beyond merely adapting Jewish tunes to the harp,
Annette creates an unique voice that fits naturally
within the idiom of Yiddish music.
Annette is performing as soloist or with ensembles.
She was a member of several klezmer music groups
such as Myridian (USA, Germany), KaleidoPhon
(Germany, Hungary) and the Yiddish music cabaret
ensemble Der Agmes Nefesh Ansambl (Germany,
Israel, France). Annette was musical co-director of
the KlezmerOrchester (Germany, Poland, Netherlands).
She has performed and taught at international music
festivals in Europe and North America.
Annette is a private teacher for harp, recorder,
ensemble music and ethnic dances.
photo credits: top row: Matt Dinerstein - Insight Pictures (all but the center); A.Bjorling (artwork in center);
single photos in text flow: all by Matt Dinerstein as well (apart from
CD-Artwork, which is by Annette Bjorling)
Copyright Annette & Kurt Bjorling © 2010-2012
